Puzzle.



E. A. NELSON, JR.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. :5, 191a.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.-

lwuaul oz THE NORRIS PE r: R: 00:, PHQm-L| THO. WASHING mN,

40 thedistinctive sizes of the slots and shanks EDGAR A. NELSON, 33,01 wasnme'ro v, nrsrnro'r .orooL'UMBIA.

"Emmy Application filed. November 25,1913. SerialNo. 802,919,

To'all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. NELSON, 'Jr., a citizen'of the United States of America,

residing at'Washington, in the District of.

Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Puzzles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in puzzles, and has for its object to provide a game apparatus or puzzle that shallbe simple in construction, durable, and cheap to manufacture, and hence may be placed before the ublio at a small expense, and which shall a 0rd entertainment and amusement for people'of all ages.

My inventlon consists in so arranging andconstructing a puzzle that' a predetermined number of pieces or buttons of diverse values may be moved in a predetermined and arbitrary number .of moves from a .certain relationto each'other to a=different and staggered or alternate relation,and then reversed or returned to'their original position the same number of predetermined andarbitrary number of moves. a I

My invention consists further in certain novel features of construction,"arrangement and operation of the various parts. as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing arrange? -1nent of parts wlthzbuttons or pieces correctly arranged or positioned preparatory to working the correct-solution of one phase of the puzzle. Fig. 2 is a simlar view,

showing position of-the buttons or pieces after correct solution in a predetermined and arbitrary number of moves. Fig. 3 is an enlarged viewpartly in section, showmg upon which the puzzle depends for itsnov elty; Fig. 4 is an edge view, showing a piece or button in place in one of the trans: verseslots. 5 shows method-of inserting or removmg a piece or button in one of the slots. 1

' In carrying out my invention I'employ a base 'or supporting body A made preferably from resilient sheet metal which maybe struck out or punched at'a singleoperation to form therethrough a longitudinal slot B which extends to near each endlof the'base A, and a plurality of transverseslotsC connecting with the longitudimilv slot and divid s ecification 0: Letters ratm, 'f

; Patenteusepas,1914,

ing thebase into a plurality 'oftongues or r segments'D. In the slots G areto be placed the pieces or buttons E, which maybe turned or spun preferably'f'from a single pieceof metal or other'materi'a'l, the heads and shank being preferably integral; these pieces or buttons are placed inposition in the. slots by springing the tongues to one side, as illustrated in Fig. 5, by virtue of the resiliency of the material of the base A; Fig. 4 showing the button in place.

- To carry out the puzzle the buttons or pieces E are used, in thisparti cular'in'stance the number of them being six (6), each set or three '(3) being diversely colored from each other in distinctive ,colors. I prefer toicolor one-half ofthe buttons, or one head thereof,red andtlie other'half blue, though 1 other contrastingcolorsmay be used for Y 3 each set,and the" color may be applied-to the head in the form of enamel orotherwise.

- As shown in'iFig. 1,1 place in slotsil, 2

and 3 the red buttons, while threeblue buttons are placed in slots-4, 5 and 6." The but tons must be :placed in the variousslotsiin a certain predetermined and arbitrary order'so'that the puzzle'man 'beworked or solved in a predeterminedand arbitrarily set number of moves;lin'this particular instance three (3) is the number of moves or shifts determined-upon. It will be noticed thatslots 8.-andl9 are narrower or-of less width than the slots 1,2, 3,4, 5,6 and 7, i

this being an'essential feature of thepuzzle, and forms the basis of. one .of the distinctively novel features of the'invention. j J In each set 1 of differently colored buttons there is'to be one button the shank ofwhich is reduced or of less diameter than'the other two, thisnreduced diameter 5' being "for the purpose of permittingsuch button to slide into and out of the reduced slots 8 and 9;

the diameters of theshanks or. the remaining twoabu'ttons in each set must be so much larger than the reduced "shanks that it 1 will larged shanks'into or out ofyslots 8 and 9. I have also shown at 11 and 12 a'reduced i be impossible toslidesaidbuttonswith eni and normal slot respectively, these slots being' not absolutely essential to the puzzle,

"but are placed thereto iactas aflsortuof blind and trap to add to the difliculty of working out the correct solution,- unless the operator is apprised .of the essential features the invention in advance: 5 1,111

has a reduced shank. i To solve one phase of th'e'pu'zzle,

shown in Fig. 1, that is, three reds alongside of three. blues, to alternate red {and blue, asshownln Fig. 2, the operator proceeds as follows to correctly solve the puzzle in three moves, and three only, to wit: The red buttons in slots 1 and 2 are simultaneously slid into longitudinal slot B, along the same to the right, and thence into slots 7 and v8; thenithe buttons which are, now in slots6 and 7 are simultaneously slidiinto slot B, along the same to the right, and thence into slots 9 andlO; then buttons left inslots 3 and 4; are simultaneously slid into slot B, along the same to the right, and thenceintothe nowvacantslots 6 and 7, whereuponit will be found that the buttons are alternately red and blue, as shown in Fig; 2. By this statement is m-eant that the hand is taken' from the buttons three times,a move comprising the act of removingfthe buttons from one set of transverse -slots, transportingthem along" the longitudinal groove and placing them into another'setof slots; This constitutes one phase of the puzzle,'lanother phase being to return the buttons from the position shown Fig. 2 to that shown in; Fig. 1 in three moves or steps. to the original position shown in Fig. l, which. can only be donemwhenthe operator is aware of the peculiarities of the distinctively reduced slots-and reducedshanks. and thefcorrect sequence of thebuttons and :moves 1 thereof. Thef puzz'le can; be quickly and easily worked" by one familiar with the peculiarities abovez'mentioned, but the uninformed person will move thebuttons usually at random and find it almostimpos'sibleto correctly solve the puzzle in the arbitrarily fixed 'three moves before mentioned, inasmuch-Has the number of slots and; buttons make it possible for a large numberwof combimations' to be made and yetnot chance uponthe correct ones; This will oif course, add. :toathe. perplexity of the operator and add to'the value of theinvention as a J'nethod of entertainment andicontribute to the skill of the: operator! e c A greater or less' nurnberj'of piecesor butt'onsiand slots may be used, ifdesiredflkmt it has been found that'the arrangement herein show'nand described vproduces the most convenientfarrangement. r I The device can be cheaply manufactured, the base piece beingpreferably of resilient sheet steel or other-"resilient material which canfbe stamped on punched operationyas may also the buttons; though theymay be mad'erof separate-*p'a'rtsand then. united in. any suitable. maznnerz" The wholeiican be placed'fhetore Kthe pub-Lie at :a

namely, to transpose the buttons from the position {out at a single low price and may be ornamental or provided with advertisements or a trade name, f desired. By making the base or body piece of resilient material the buttons can be quickly snapped or sprung into and out of the slots. The base may be made with undercut grooves or channels and the headed 3 longitudinal slot or channel, a plurality of transverse slots or channels connecting therewith, and a plurality of sets orseries of headed buttons of diverse values, the shanks of said buttons adapted to slide in said slots or channelsyone button of each set having areduced shank. 2. Apuzzle comprising a base plate having a'longitudinal slot or channel, a series of transverse: slots or channels" connecting therewith, a definite number of said transverse slots or channels being or less width than the remainingtransverse slots or channels, and a plurality of sets of buttons of diverse value, each button having heads and ashank, said shank adapted to slide in the aforesaid slots'or channels, one button in each set provided with a reduced shank capable of being slidin any of the slots, but fitting only in to the reduced slots, whereby the plurality of sets of diverse values may be moved, orshifted in a predetermined arbitrary number of moves from, a continuous arrangement of sets to an alternate arrangement of buttons. a

3. A puzzle comprising a base plate having a longitudinal slot or channel, a pluralityof transverse slots or channels connecting therewith, a definite number of said transverse slots or channels being of reduced width, anadditional number of transverse trap'slots or channels, of sets of buttons or pieces the shanks-of which are'adapted to slide in the aforesaid slots, one button of each set being provided with a reduced shankcapable of fitting only the reduced transverse slots or channels,

, 4. A puzzle comprising a plate having a longitudinal slot or channel, a plurality of transverse slots or channels therewith, a definite number of said transverseslotsbeing of reduced width, an additional number of transverse trap slots of re ducedand normal ,width, -and a plurality of sets of buttonsof diverse value the shanks of which are adapted to be moved into and out-of'said slots or channels, one button of each. .setwbeing provided ,with a reduced nate placement in a predetermined and arthe aforesaid reduced slots or channels.

5, A puzzle icomprising a plate having a longitudinal slot or channel, a plurality'of transverse slots or channels connecting therewith, azdefinitez number 'of s'aid transanda plurality connecting verse slots being of reduced Width relative to the other slots, a plurality of sets of buttons, each set being of diverse value, a plurality of buttons in each set having shanks of such diameter as Will prevent their entrance into the reduced transverse slots, and a single button in each set having a reduced shank adapted to fit in the aforesaid reduced slots, whereby the buttons in the sets may be moved from one predetermined placement to another predetermined alternate placement in a predetermined and arbitrary number of moves of two buttons simultaneously. v

' 6. In a puzzle, the combination with two sets of buttons of diverse value and each having heads and a shank connectingthe reduced shank, of a plate having a longitug dinal slot and plurality of transverse slots connecting therewith a definite number of said transverse slots being of uniform Width adapted to receive the shanks of all the buttons, and a definite number of said transverse slots being of reduced idth capable of receiving only the buttons with the reduced shanks.

In testimonyvvhereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

p e EDGAR A. NELSON, JR.

Witnesses:

E. M. LA BOITEAUX,

CRAGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ZPatents,

Washington, D. C. 

